It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jude Bellingham has amazed all the fans with his great performances in the colors of his new team, Real Madrid. Indeed, not many people thought that Bellingham could make such an impact at the Santiago Bernabeu when this season, many times the English player has shined to save Real Madrid from defeats. Recently, he also contributed greatly when scoring both goals to help the Madrid team come back against great rival Barcelona in the El Clasico match.
After winning the Kopa Award, which is given to the best player under the age of 21 in the world, the English player had an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe to share about his entire football career. your rock.
Bellingham recently received the Kopa award
Sharing about his family’s influence on his football career, Bellingham said: “I have a very good relationship with both my parents.”
“I have gained many things from my parents. They had other jobs before becoming my agents. I admire the way they handle various situations, especially since I became a professional player. They have done extraordinary things, even without any experience in this field. I always wonder why they can do that. Actually, I really admire my parents as they can adapt to every situation, and become the best in their field.”
His parents are two extremely influential people in Bellingham’s football career
“It is extremely important to me that my family be represented. Many other players have signed with agents who care more about money than their clients. I never had to worry about having my parents as my representatives. They care about my development, and we share the same goals and dreams. For other agents, they will be interested in ways to make even more money. For me, things have never been like that. Plus thanks to this we have better quality conversations at the dinner table. We shared everything from good movies to Real Madrid being interested in signing me.”
Share about the football world in general. Bellingham shared: “I have witnessed teammates who were once close follow the wrong paths. If you love football by just looking at it as a sport, you will always be rewarded. If you go out to play just because you want attention and become famous, for me personally, this is not the right thing to do.”
The Real Madrid rookie also shared that his dream since childhood was to play for the England team, however, he did not like football from the beginning.
“My childhood dream was to play for England, always has been. If as a child, someone would have told me that after three years playing in Germany, I would move to Spain without having the chance to play in the Premier League, I would not have believed it.
Bellingham spent 3 years playing in Germany before moving to Real Madrid
“I didn’t like football from the beginning. I know it sounds absurd that now, if someone took football out of my life I would go crazy. As a child, I often practiced with my father, and after each practice session, we would go pick flowers together. I often pick bouquets of chrysanthemums to give to my mother. They never put pressure on me. My dad is usually the one who takes me to practice sessions, however, he also said that if I’d rather go play hide and seek or pick flowers, I should do that. Freedom is something I had as a child. My parents never forced me to do anything specific, as long as I behaved like a good child and cared about others.”
Continuing to be asked why Bellingham, from someone who did not like football much, became a professional player, he said: “It’s because this sport is competitive. Since childhood, I have always been an aggressive person, even when playing hide and seek. I definitely fell in love with this sport when I realized its competitiveness.”
Bellingham also shared about his idol, who is none other than Zidane.
“As a kid, I really liked the players of Birmingham City, the team that won the League Cup at Wembley after a 2-1 win over Arsenal in 2011. My heroes were Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner and Lee Bowyer. As I got deeper into the world of football, my father gave me a lot of influence. During that time, I really liked Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard, simply because they played in England. Then I grew up and continued to watch more and more football. My dad bought a shirt, albeit a fake one, from Zidane at a beach. He wore that shirt everywhere, but mostly at home. I was also quite curious and one day asked, “Who is that, Dad?” He just told me to go on Youtube and see for myself.”
“Since then, I can’t stop loving Zidane. He is exactly the type of player I want to be. I was lucky enough to meet Zidane in the 2022 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool. Meeting him, I turned into a little boy with eyes full of admiration. He is truly humble compared to the achievements he has achieved. He is a perfect role model. And when you ask Real players who have worked with Zidane, he is also a great coach.”
At Real Madrid, Bellingham also wore the number 5 shirt like his idol Zidane
This theme continues to lead to Bellingham wearing the number 5 shirt at Real Madrid, the number that his idol, Zidane, once wore. “It’s like a way for me to pay tribute to him, of course,” he said.
“However, along with being grateful, I am also creating my own story. It’s like I took that legendary number 5, and continued to evolve in my own way, creating my own mark. I want to be a modern number 5 for Real Madrid.”
Bellingham also talked about the story of Birmingham City retiring the number 22 shirt, the number he used to wear when playing for this team. “They told me that no one else would wear the shirt until I returned to Birmingham. I was surprised. I had a good season there, but it wasn’t too special. However, I also understand the situation and the team’s decision. My transfer saved the team when they were in a difficult situation.”
Birmingham has retired Bellingham’s number 22 shirt
“I also hear a lot of what people say about how I behave on the field, and how I shouldn’t or how I should react to situations. The problem is that people keep putting me in a different position. I will make small mistakes, I’m only human, and I will also have moments where I lose my temper. People look at me and say I’m not really that mature yet. The truth is, I have that part of me. I’m not a robot.”
The British rookie talked more about the moment he first entered Real Madrid’s dressing room. “I’m a little bit nervous. I have never been appreciated by star players. When I came here and saw what the team had achieved, it was hard for me not to think that this is the pinnacle of football.”
“In the first weeks, when I was still getting to know the players in the squad, I sat and ate next to Toni Kroos. I thought “is he eating gold?” And then realize that they are just normal people, and are trying to help me have a good time. They are very humble. I learned the great lesson that it doesn’t matter how successful you are, it doesn’t matter what you’ve won, you can still be a great person just like these players. They inspire me, not only as players, but as men.”
“I cannot describe the feeling of putting on this white jersey for the first time. It was like a dream come true. This is an extremely popular shirt, so much so that when I put it on, I feel like I’m wearing a superhero costume. It is a privilege, an honor. You have to reach a certain level to be able to wear this shirt week after week.”
Bellingham is very proud to wear the Real Madrid shirt
“Sometimes, I also feel like I’m quite special. I think it’s because of my age and what I’ve accomplished. People often remind me that I am still very young and must take each step slowly. There were times when I thought I did everything very well, but then as I continued to practice soccer every day, I practiced with the mindset that I had to become a better version of yesterday, I was Know how to look at your own negative aspects, the aspects that still need to be improved. That’s how I improve.”
Finally, Bellingham talked about his next plans in his career, as well as about the bad side of football when many of his teammates suffered from racism.
“In terms of adaptability, you have to jump headfirst and not just tap your toes to test the water. You must have courage on this journey. There will certainly be times when you encounter difficulties, but you must continue to face it, keeping a cool head. That’s how I am, always continuing to move forward no matter what many people say, good or bad, about me.”
“I hope to be able to win at least five Champions League titles, one Euro championship and maybe even the World Cup. I have always been a positive person. I don’t see the point in continuing to play if I think I’ve lost from the start. You have to go into every tournament thinking you’re going to win it. Otherwise, what’s the point of joining?”
“Racism is an issue that I find extremely important, even though at my age many people would try to avoid talking about it because frankly it is quite controversial. If I went through all of my social media messages and comments over the past 24 hours, I would probably find at least one racist comment. Now, I may not be affected much by it, but I also have my guard up when I see how much this affects my teammates.”